Alarm-controlling means for sprinkler systems.



N. H. SUREN.

ALARM CONTROLLING MEANS FOR SPRINKLER SYSTEMS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-28,1915.

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application filed January 28, 1915. Serial No. 4,925.

To aZZn'o/wm it may concern Be it known that I, NATHAN H. SUREN, acitizen of the United States, residing at Needham, in the county ofNorfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement inAlarm-Controlling Means for Sprinkler Systems, or" which the followingis a specification.

- T his invention relates to an improvement in alarm-controlling meansdesigned to be used in connection with sprinkler-systems and the like.

The invention is designed primarily for indicating the flow of water asby sounding an alarm, when a subnormal pressure condition is produced inthe sprinkler-pipes, as by the opening of a sprinkler-head or by abroken sprinkler-pipe, and to avoid sounding the alarm upon theoccurrence of a sudden rise or fluctuation in the pressure, due forexample to' the condition known as water-hammer, or to a subnormalpressure condition in the supply-pipe, such for instance as may be dueto the opening of a hydrant, or to a break in said pipe, whereby falsealarms are obviated.

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The invention, broadly stated, comprehendsa check-valve controllingdirect com,-\

munication between, what may be termed,

-the supply and service-pipes of the system,

and a circuit-controller associated with it,

which is arranged foroperation by it, and

a pressure-controlled element arranged in the service-pipe, and acircuit-controller associated withit and arranged for operation by it,said circuit-controllers being arranged to control a circuit in suchmanner that only upon operation. of both circuit-controllers will analarm be sounded.

Figure 1 represents a portion of a sprinkler-system having a check-valvewith assoclated circuit-controller, arranged between the supply andservice pipes, and having a pressure-controlled element with associatedcircuit-controller, arranged in the servicepipe, bothcircuit-controllers being arranged to control the operation of the samealarm .circuit. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the check-valve withassociated circuit-controller. Fig. 3V is a sectional view 01": the

pressure-controlled element with associated circuit-controller.

represents the supply-pipe and 1-2 the service-pipe from which branches14; are extended bearing the sprinkler-heads, all of- 1 which parts areor may be of any usual or suitable construction, and form a part of asprinkler-system. At the junction of the supply-pipe and service-pipe acheck-valve held with the contact-members in engagement with each other,thereby closing the circuit 26, 27, but when said valve-plate is movedaway from its seat said lever 23 is moved on its pivot by thecontractile spring connected with it and the contactmembers arepermitted to separate, thereby opening said circuit, 26, 27. Thischeck-valve is arranged to be opened upon a reduction of the pressure inthe servicepipe, due to a flow of, water from the service-pipe orbranches connected therewith, and operates to admit water from thesupply-pipe, and upon move ment of its valve-plate at such time willoperate the circuit-controller 24, Said checlcvalve remains closed whenbalanced by equal pressures at both sides of it and also upon asubnormal condition in the sup- Y ply-pipe, due to a reduction in thepressure in said pipe. It is a fact that said valve-plate is frequentlysuddenly and momentarily opened by a rise in pressure in the supply-pipedue to a water-hammer,

resulting in a momentary operation of the circuit-controller, 2t, 25,and the sounding 'ofa false alarm, and it is this. condition that mypresent invention seeks to overcome.

Herein a pressure-gage 40, is connected with the service-pipe, and saidgage may be of any well-known or suitable construction, as for instance,a gage having an ordinary Bourbon spring is here shown, which spring isin open communication with the pressure; and said spring has connectedwith it a contact-member 42, arranged for engagement with acontact-member 43, which-is insulated from the shell or case of thegage, and a circuit-wire is connected with said contact-member 43, and acircuitwire 45 is connected with the shell-or case ,of the gage, andupon predetermined :inovements of said contact-member l2 bythe spring ofthe gage the circuit 44, 4:5 is opened and closed. The normal pressurecontained in the service-pipe is sufiicient to cause the contact-member42 to engage the contact-member 43, so that the circuit 44, 45, isnormally closed. Upon a reduction of the pressure, due to a flow ofwater from the service-pipe or branches connected therewith, the spring41 is caused to move the contact-member 42 to disengage thecontactmember 43, and thereby open the circuit. Upon the occurrence of awater-hammer and consequent sudden opening movement of the check-valve,the pressure gage will not be aifected except that there may be a slightincrease in pressure in the servicepipe, and such increase in pressurewill act to more firmly hold the contact-member 42 in engagement withthe contactmember 43. The spring of said pressure-gage, however, willnot be'caused to fluctuate by the waterhammer. However, if a check-valvewas not employed, then the pressure-gage would fluctuate in response tothe occurrence of such a condition. By employing both a check-valve anda pressure-gage, arrangedin combination and connected, respectively,with the supply-pipe and service-pipe, as herein shown and described,and arranging both circuit-controllers which are to be operated by themso as to control the sounding of the alarm only upon the operation ofboth said I circuit-controllers, then falsealarms from this cause areobviated. As for instance, the two circuit-controllers may be arrangedin parallel in a circuit, and said circuit will not be opened unlessboth circuit-controllers are opened; or, as is well understood, bothcircuit-controllers may be normally open and arranged in series and onlywhen both are closed will the alarm circuit be closed. Said check-valveand pressure-gage, each having a circuit-controller arranged foroperation by it, may have associated with them othercircuit-controllers, and the circuit-controllers may be arranged tocontrol the operation of a self-starting signal-transmitter, thestarting-magnet or magnets of which are responslve only upon operationof both circuit-controllers, thereby to transmit a signal to a suitablesignalrecorder as is represented in my application, No. 23,777.

The pressure-gage here shown has a dial and pointer for indicating thepressure, but,

as far as my invention is concerned, this is immaterial.

I claim:

1. In an alarm-controlling means for sprinkler-systems, the combinationwith the supply-pipe and service-pipe of a sprinklersystem, of acheck-valve arranged to open and close communication between saidsupply-pipe and service-pipe, and a pressurecontrolled element connectedwith the service-pipe, circuit-controllers associated, respectively,with said check-valve and said pressure-controlled element, and acircuit in which said circuit-controllers are arranged in parallelrelation, whereby the alarm-circuit will be controlled only uponoperation of both circuit-controllers, substantially as described.

2. In an alarm-controlling means for sprinkler-systems, the combinationwith. the supply-pipe and service-pipe of a sprinklersystem, of acheck-valve arranged to open and close-communication between thesupply-pipe and service-pipe, a pressure-gage connected with theservice-pipe, circuit-controllers associated, respectively, with saidcheck-valve and pressure-gage, a circuit in which saidcircuit-controllers are arranged in parallel relation, whereby thecircuit will be controlled only upon operation of bothcircuit-controllers, substantially as described.

3. In an alarm-controlling means for sprinkler-systems, the combination,with the supply-pipe and service-pipe of a sprinklersystem of meanscontrolling the flow of water from the supply-pipe to the servicepipeand a circuit-controller associated with said means and responsive tothe operation thereof, a pressure-controlled element connected with theservice-pipe, and responsive to variations in the pressure therein, acircuit-controller associated with said element, and a circuit arrangedto be controlled by and only upon coincident operation of both saidcircuit-controllers, substantially as described.

4. In an alarm-controlling,rmeans for sprinkler-systems, the combinationwith the supply-pipe and service-pipe of a sprinklersystem, of meansresponsive to. a reduction in the pressure in the service-pipe and alsoto a rise in pressure in the supply-pipe, anda circuitcontrollerassociated with said means and responsive to the operation thereof, apressure-controlled element connected with the service-pipe andresponsive to variations in the pressure therein, and acircuit-controller associated with said element, and a circuit arrangedto be controlled by and only upon coincident operation of both saidcircuit-controllers substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

NATHAN H. SUREN.

'Witnesses E. P. WALDRON, C. C. BISSE'IT.

